When I say the "11 best weight lifting exercises" what I'm really saying is that these are the proven classics that have been shown to result in the greatest increases in strength and muscle mass in the shortest possible time. They are the fully functional and natural movements performed by professional athletes, bodybuilders and personal trainers. There's nothing fancy or unorthodox about them. Unless you're completely new to weight lifting, you've probably seen them all before.
It's time to get back to basics people! I have many friends who tell me about certain new exercises they've been trying out and it's clear they've just jumped on the bandwagon of whatever new craze the marketing men have managed to dupe them into believing. Follow the exercises outlined below, which target every major muscle in your body, and believe me you'll see noticeable results very quickly as fat drops off and muscles develop.
I'm purely focusing on the exercises themselves here. However, please bear in mind that you should begin any weight lifting program with a light warm up and stretching. You also need to follow a suitable eating plan depending on what your fitness goals are.
Bench press
The bench press (chest press) should form a part of any weight lifting program. It primarily works the chest muscles (the pectoralis major) and also the front of the shoulder muscles (anterior deltoids) and triceps. This is a great compound movement for developing your chest.
Press-up
Performed in many a PE lesson and often associated with military punishment, there's a good reason why this timeless exercise is still worth its place in any routine today. It works the same muscles as the bench press but with the added advantage that it can be performed any place at any time.
Shoulder press
This exercise is essential in any weight lifting program. It primarily targets the deltoids, especially the middle section but your triceps are also involved in the action. A common mistake made in the gym is over training of the front of the shoulder because trainers often focus too heavily on the bench press. The shoulder press will balance out this overdevelopment helping to prevent shoulder injuries.
Dip
This exercise works 3 major muscle groups. The shoulders, chest and triceps. The nearer your elbows are to your body and the less you lean forward the greater the emphasis will be on your triceps.
Row
There are many varieties to this exercise but they all predominantly target the lats, trapezius and back of the shoulders along with integrating the biceps.
Pull-up
The pull-up is a very difficult exercise to master at first, but usually gyms will have an assisted pull-up machine until you can master them. The pull-up, like the row, works every major muscle in your back along with your biceps. The sooner you can get it into your weight lifting program the better.
Back extension
This is essential to building lower back strength and helping with lower back and posture problems. It targets the muscles that run along the sides of the spine thereby protecting it.
Hanging knee raise
This hits the obliques, which are the muscles that run diagonally along the sides of your torso along with the lower part of the rectus abdominis.
Crunch
This exercise targets every part of the rectus abdominis and the obliques.
Squat
The Squat is an essential part of any weight lifting program because it targets every muscle in the lower body - the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, calves, lower back and abs. If you only ever did one weight lifting exercise this should be it and it's one of the best exercises to lose weight!
Deadlift
This exercise pretty much works every muscle at the back of your body. It will provide quick and impressive results if done correctly.
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